MadDog1999

Hi Guys,
As some of ye may already know I am on the search for a road bike. For my first Road bike I am looking at secondhand because it is obviously cheaper. On donedeal(essentially Irelands version of Craigslist) I have looked at good secondhand Road bikes for a good price. These already have all the gear on them like the wheels the derailleurs etc. But would it be cheaper to buy just a frame and then buy all the extra parts separate? I know this might be fun but is it easy for a beginner? I am u Dec the impression that buying the full bike together might be a bit dearer or even cheaper because all the parts are already there but it seems it would be easier too? Help please.

Thanks.

Beerope

yes it would. reason being, you could negotiate and haggle the prices down when you buy parts individually. For example, $10 for a derailer that cost $30. These add up to substantial savings.

mcours2006

As a beginner I'd buy the whole bike. In most cases it's going to be cheaper than trying to scrounge around for parts that match or are compatible. If you go with the build route, and you are picky about the parts you put on it, e.g. similar era gruppo parts, you may end up waiting for a long time, or paying more than you want to for the part.

Then there's the challenge of putting it all together. Do you have the necessary tools? If not, you may have to buy them. Do you have the necessary skills? Youtube is a great resource, but it helps if you are not a complete klutz on the handiness scale.

Buying new avoids all these headaches. You get a bike that's perfectly tuned, all parts compatible and matching, perhaps LBS support should things not work properly, and maybe even considerably cheaper than your DIY route.

I have personally gone the DIY route a few times, but I have all the tools and some spare parts, not picky about matching parts, and I actually enjoy it.

Doohickie

For a beginner, this is a BAD idea because a beginner won't know what's compatible nor the relative values of the parts.

Buy a whole bike. Then you at least have something that matches. If there are specific components that don't work properly or are worn, you can replace them as necessary. This is much easier than diving in to a whole rebuild.

mcours2006

Yes, there is this too.

Corbin

Why assume somebody new is too ignorant to do research? Mixing and matching components is very easy as long as you stick with the proper speed there really isn't much incompatibility.

Having said that probably not worth the time or effort for a first bike to piece it together. Yeah you'll save some money but much time will be spent where it could better be spend cruising the adds looking for a complete package deal.

MadDog1999

I think I am going to get a new bike already put together etc. I am thinking of the Cannondale Caad12. Is this a good bike?

Corbin

I think there is an official cult of caad members around here.

Here it is: https://www.bikeforums.net/road-cycli...cult-caad.html

Make sure you know what size bike to buy.

apaulson714

For your first road bike id buy one already built, then learn to work on it yourself. Ive ridden for a few years and have always just take my bike to my LBS whenever something was wrong, but this year decided to learn myself. Ended up basically rebuilding my bike from the frame up, and i can tell you that to cost of tools adds up very fast, and will probably need to factor in some "oops" money for when you make a mistake. Thrilled that i did it, and now have to tools to do it again if i choose, however for a new rider i would buy a built bike without question.

Learn to work on it and when it needs upgrades or when you feel you want/need to build do it then.

datlas 

Get a whole bike. One that fits.

/thread

MadDog1999

I found it thanks

TheRef

How much is your time worth to you? I work over 60 hours a week and value my free time at around $30 to $35 US Dollar an hour anytime I have to decide whether I'm doing something or paying somebody else. I have so little free time that I'd rather pay more for the convenience of something done quick.
Finding parts separately is extremely time-consuming and to me it wouldn't be worth any monetary savings.

pacalolo

I value my time the same way, however, don't forget to factor in the time to take your bike to a shop and then to retrieve it. In my case that would be 90 minutes for each trip or three hours. So I pretty much do all my own work on my bikes

dksix

I think you would get a better bike, at least more what you want, by building. I started riding mid last year, bought my first road bike towards the end of the summer and built my current bike over the winter. I did end up buying some stuff I didn't, ruined a set of cables, went through a couple different sets of bar tape, had to buy some new tools but did end up with a CF road bike running a 10 speed mix for ~$900 that came in at 17 pounds (pretty good for a 61CM and 50MM wheels).

Full disclosure. I didn't plan on building the bike, started out just going to upgrade my 8 speed. As the parts started to build up I realized I was close to a complete bike and started watching eBay for framesets. I bid on several but finally won one that was in my budget.

mcours2006

I understand your point, but what if someone actually enjoyed doing this? This is not so difficult to believe. I don't consider it work. Also, would you have spent the same hours working for work if you did not spend them looking for a bike or bike parts? I'm guessing no.

If, on the other hand, you took time off work to look for a bike, then your argument would have more validity.

Doohickie

Because the OP asked, "is it easy for a beginner?" I didn't assume he is too ignorant, just that the research might be more than a beginner would want to do.

There are lots of compatibility issues besides number of speeds- what kind of pivot bolt on brakes, for instance (protruding versus recessed), clamp diameter for front derailleur (or bolted to a braze-on), etc. Easy to me means able to get riding quickly without running into a bunch of unexpected glitches.

Now if the OP is inquisitive and wants to learn, starting with a complete bike but slowly upgrading is an option. If the bike is fully operational the OP can ride but still keep an eye out on donedeal for component upgrades and jump at them when he finds the right deal. If one or two of the upgrades doesn't work out, the OP has bought knowledge and experience.

Corbin

Touche. Hey, at least he asked.

MadDog1999

That is very intriguing. I see how building our own bike can be enjoyable. The feeling of winning a race or even just completing our longest cycle ever in the bike we built or modified ourself. That is, if it doesnt fall apart. Which I know rarely happens :Lol: Ya that weight is pretty light compared to what my first road bike will probably be, you know with cheap bikes being usually heavy. Although the CAAD12 is supposed to be pretty light for an aluminium frame(The bike I want). I don't think I will be building my own bike for a while though, the most I will be doing is probably upgrading the pedals or something small. But I trust ye guys here will help me when the time comes!

MadDog1999

This! To anyone with doubts I just asked for easy because I didn't even buy my first road bike yet. But I have researched a lot about upgrading bikes and in a different thread called The Cult of CAAD I saw the bike I want with all the upgrades to the rider's needs and I thought it was exceptional, like it looked top class. If I can recall he made it even lighter and plus made it more functional. That is something I would like to do alright when I get more knowledgeable about road biking. Plus I am only 16 so thus my budget is sort of small so I will be buying the bike totally together, I might even be 17 by the time I have money saved up.

Time to relax now that this is settled. I know ye didn't mean anything by it but Doohickie's point sums it all up really.

CliffordK

If one knows exactly what one wants, and is a little picky on the build, then there would be advantages of buying pieces and building from scratch.
That way you can get the exact cranks, shifters, wheels, seat, and etc that one desires.

On the other hand, for the beginner. One can do all the internet research in the world, but when it comes right down to it, one needs to get on the bike and ride. Then, in most cases you're better off buying the fully assembled starter bike, and learning with it.

There is always the temptation to buy the latest and greatest. But, there is no reason to spend the bucks on a 2015/2016 bike, when one 5 to 10 years old may work just fine.

mcours2006

Wow! How does a 16 y/o come into a couple of thousand dollars? I'm impressed you want to blow it all on a single item.

MadDog1999

I didn't say I was going to spend couple of thousand dollars on the CAAD12, I am just interested in the bike(I would really want to buy it ) But, it would take me ages to save up that amount of money with the summer job I have and I am not planning to blow it all on the bike. When I grow up maybe I will buy a brand new bike but for now second hand thanks!

mcours2006

When I was 16 I paid $500 on my first road bike. That was a lot of money back in 1986. That amount might be worth $2k if invested over the last 30 years with an annualized return of 7.2%. That was about 2 weeks worth of work. Times have changed.

CliffordK

My old Colnago cost 300,000 Lira, used, back in 1982, or just under $300. I still have, and ride the bike today, although I'm finally upgrading a bit.

However, the reality is that there are a lot of good bikes out there for under $500 which could last a person for a very long time.

Maybe the OP should consider a third choice.

• Not a pile of parts.
• Not a pristine bike.
• But, hunt for a generally good bike, with something major broken or missing, like a bent rim. Shifting woes, or perhaps some wacky drop bar to flat bar conversion.

For example, here is an older CAAD2 that showed up on our local craigslist.
Cannondale caad2 r300 - $120 (Eugene)



Find some drop bars at the local bike co-op, and some downtube shifters, and one could have a good starter-bike for $150.

For a TALL person, of course.

dksix

The building part of the bike was a non issue for me, I'm a mechanic by trade (industrial, not auto) . It wasn't the first time I had had all of a bike to assemble but it was my first geared bike and I didn't get the cables right the first time (there is a thread) and I've build car, motor cycles and quads from parts.

Like I said it sort of just happened. I had a 3x8 road bike that I decided I wanted to go to a double on.......bought some parts. While watching for deals on eBay I got to wanting some CF wheels, bought a set. Then stumbled into the local Trek store that had recently opened (I didn't even know it was there until I drove past the sign). About that time I met a couple of guys who each had a Trek Domane 4.5. After riding with them I knew I wanted a more relaxed geometry. From there it was my best option for sale my old bike and finish out a new (to me) bike. From that point I spend about $450 more and when it was finished I sold my old bike for $300.

I guess the truest test of a bike is how much it get ridden, I put 80-100 miles a week on mine so I consider it a successful. I'm not riding it for any other reason than I like to ride it, no fitness or weight loss goals. I'm certainly not opposed to buying new and complete bikes, really thinking about ordering one of these https://www.orangebikes.co.uk/bikes/rx9-s loving the orange paint and think it would be a fun bike for gavel exploring some of the mountain fire roads.